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March 2011 Books Plus Discussion

The seasons are turning again, and it's almost time for our 2011 One Book One Bloomington selection--Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin. Set in 1974, this National Book Award winner chronicles the day Philippe Petit tightroped across the space between the two World Trade Towers. In masterful prose, McCann chronicles how various strangers reacted to this event. It's a book about the interrelationships between the residents of a great city, and how one man's quest for adventure brings hope, fear, and wonder to the people standing below. Jonathan Mahler of the New York Times called it "one of the most electric, profound novels I have read in years."

Come share your thoughts, questions, and reactions to this compelling novel. For more information about this and upcoming programs, including films related to the One Book, One Bloomington selection, please see below. Hope you will join us for this year's community discussion of Let the Great World Spin.

Books PlusBooks Plus meets the first Sunday of each month. All are welcome. Join the discussion or simply come to listen. No registration necessary. Drop in.2 p.m., First Sundays

March 6 -- Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann -- One Book One Bloomington Community Read!Discussion Leader: Wendy Rubin"In McCann's wise and elegiac novel of origins and consequences, each of his finely drawn, unexpectedly connected characters balances above an abyss, evincing great courage with every step." - BookList

April 3 -- Framing the Silence: The Myriad Forms of PoetryDiscussion Leader: Dory Lynch"Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn." - Thomas GrayIn honor of the 16th National Poetry Month, we'll celebrate poetry in various forms including: haiku, villanelles, sonnets, and sestinas. Please bring a poem or two that you really enjoy in any form written by you or your favorite poet. Reading poetry out loud is the best way to experience poetry; it will touch both your mind and heart.

May 1 -- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainDiscussion Leader: Elizabeth Gray"All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. It is the best book we've had." ~Ernest Hemingway